Gulfport may not be the attraction to the region like New Orleans is to the West or Biloxi is to…read morethe East, but it does have some items that gives it a reason for being! It has the local airport, a Naval Base full of Sea Bees (with a really cool museum), a port, island excursions, fishing, shrimping, casinos and a beautiful white sand beach. Sunsets and sun rises are spectacular. Lots of camera opportunities! This was my second time here and yes, the hurricanes over the last decade or so have hit it hard. Still, the people continue to live here and the community survives. There are some great restaurants with some preparing local Gulf Coast favorites!

The city of Gulfport has a great many attractions, small museums, thrift stores, all very…read moreinteresting. I am usually glad every time I come. Only one time was unpleasant and that was the Cruise-In. The Aviation Museum is a must-see as is the train museum. The historical museum in the historic district is a trove of valuable information. The Fishbone Alley is so very cute and unique. There are so many things I plan on coming back and doing in the future.

What a cute museum! In the original train depot built in the early 1900s, the original flooring,…read morewalls and ceiling through most of the building. The gentleman working was well informed of the history of the area. This is on the small side, but packed with information, displays and exhibits. There are items for sale. I am sure that if I had more time, I would have gotten plenty of information on other things to do in the area as the guy working was very knowledgeable about the area.

I ended up bumping into this place on accident as I wanted to explore the beach road and driving…read morethe coast up to Gulfport. I ended up here as I always wanted to visit presidential libraries. The cost of admission is $15 for adults and will take around 2 hours. They do a guided tour which last for 20 minutes which is a Mary talking about the house 20 minutes straight. For me, my attention span was low that day and everything went in and out of my ear. After that, you get to tour the grounds like the kitchen, guest quarters, etc which I enjoyed the most. The place is pretty big. Make sure when you head back to go to the 2nd floor as there are a lot of artifacts. It was worth my time going however.

Rude staff and dirty museum. Buckets of dirty water on the floor. Rushed us out before they closed…read moreand got mad when we're were looking at the interactive items.

Listen up, Biloxi crew if you're just holing up in the casinos, stuffing your face at buffets, and…read morenever stepping foot on the sand or a boat, you're straight-up robbing yourself and disrespecting the good people of the Gulf Coast. Come on, y'all! This ain't what Biloxi is about. I rolled into town ready for some real adventure, and after chatting with locals (who know their stuff), they all pointed me straight to Ship Island Excursions. Best decision I made the whole trip. The boat ride out? Pure magic. About an hour across the sound, wind in my hair, and that captain man, what a character! He had us cracking up the whole way with his stories, pointing out dolphins like it was no big deal (spoiler: it was a big deal flipper squad escorted us like VIPs). The narration was gold: history, wildlife, tall tales, the works. Felt like we were in on some secret Gulf adventure. Once we hit Ship Island, it was game on. White sand beaches that look like they belong in the Caribbean, crystal-clear water way better than the mainland, and that old Fort Massachusetts to poke around in. I rented a chair and umbrella, plopped down, and let the sun do its thing. But let's be real I couldn't just sit still. Me and a couple new buddies from the boat got up to some harmless shenanigans: epic shell-hunting contests, splashing around like kids, trying (and failing) to build the world's saddest sandcastle before the tide won. One guy swore he saw a mermaid; I didn't argue. We were all just living our best lives, laughing our heads off. The whole vibe is chill but electric the crew keeps everything smooth, the people are friendly as heck, and you feel like you're part of something special. Pro tip: Pack snacks or hit the concession stand, but don't miss the ride back more dolphin sightings and that golden-hour glow over the water. If you're in Biloxi and you skip this, you're cheating yourself out of one of the top "had to do it" experiences on the coast. Casinos are fun, but this? This is the real deal. Boat cruise + beach escape + good folks + zero regrets. 10/10, do it every time you're here. Ship Island Excursions just earned a permanent spot on my Mississippi must-list. Can't wait to go back and cause more (friendly) trouble out there!

You'll ferry in and out to the island. You can set up on either side of the island, but the…read morerestrooms and food stand are on the far side of the island (not nearest where you debark your ferry). There is a considerable amount of walking and it can get quite hot hauling your cooler / bags. All sorts of drinks, beer, and food are sold at the food counter / gift store. When walking around, shoes are strongly recommended. The black sand WILL burn your feet - although the black sand is only in certain places - but, you may have to walk through it to reach your destination. We rented a chair with an umbrella. That was great! Be SURE to check what you can and cannot bring onto the ferry. There is a limited amount of space so larger coolers, carts, etc may not be acceptable. Enjoy your visit. We did!

This Mississippi marker is located in the Jones Park area, near the replica of the Ship Island…read morelighthouse. It reads, "12 miles south of the mainlind lies emerald waters and sugar white sand. Site of economic and military conquest by the Spanish in the 1500s, the French in 1699, the British in the 1700s and the Union Army in 1861. Site of Civil War Fort Massachusetts and quarantine station (1881-1916). British headquarters for the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. A brick lighthouse was built in 1853 and destroyed in 1886. The wooden lighthouse was built in 1886, survived Hurricane Camille in 1969, burned by a campfire in 1972, and reconstructed in 1999. Southern terminus for the Gulfport shipping channel. Became part of Gulf Island National Seashore in 1971. Sponsored by Hancock Bank and Friends of the Gulf Island National Seashore." Online, there is more information. It is one of the Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands and was split into separate islands (West Ship Island and East Ship Island) by Hurricane Camille in 1969. In 2019, the US Army Corp of Engineers completed a project to rejoin the two islands. Ship Island has the only deep-water harbor between Mobile Bay and the Mississippi River. During the Civil War, the island was a prison for Confederate prisoners of war and a base for the US Second Regiment, a unit of African-American soldiers. Fort Massachusetts, named in honor of the Union warship that seized the outpost in 1862, is generally open for tours though the organized ferry is closed due to the pandemic. [Review 14598 overall, 97 of 2021, number 91 in Mississippi.]

Located in Jones Park, this historical marker points out an important part of Civil War history…read more It reads, "The Louisiana Native Guards, composed largely of former slaves and free men of color from Louisiana, were organized by Union Major General Benjamin Butler in 1862. On April 9, 1863, 180 men from companies B and G of the 2nd regiment, landed at Pascagoula and held the city for several hours against more than 300 Confederate troops. At 2 p.m., the Federals withdrew, returning to Ship Island, This raid is the first involving African American troops in the Gulf Region." After New Orleans fell to Admiral David Farragut in April 1862, Union Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler headquartered his 12,000-man Army of the Gulf in New Orleans. On September 27, 1862, Butler organized the Union Army's 1st Louisiana Native Guard regiment, some of whose members had served in the previous Confederate Native Guard regiment. Free men of color had served with the militia since the French colonial period. But the regiment's initial strength was 1,000 men, and it was composed mostly of African-American former slaves who had escaped to freedom. [Review 14193 overall, 1515 of 2020, number 83 in Mississippi.]

Great little quick stop if you're in the area. I wouldn't drive out of the way as there's not much…read moreto it but it was a cool piece of history.

Huge oak that is 500 years old. Cool to see something like that especially around all the…read morehurricanes it has endured.

We started off a little rough...they were out of ribs and burnt ends. No ribs at a BBQ joint?!?…read more So we went with brisket and smoked sausage. My wife and I did not agree....but her brisket was very fatty. I also had a large helping of fried okra along with some yummy potato salad. I was pretty stuffed so I shared my leaner brisket pieces with my wife. So it was a split decision on the food but service was good.

I love this place. I come a few times every winter when I am down here. The pulled pork is always…read moregood. I had the pulled pork and pulled chicken too, and it was good. Today I had the brisket sandwich and enjoyed it as well. If you are lucky, Kaleigh will wait on you. She is a good and attentive waitress. Big bar, lots of seating, multiple tvs. But street parking fills in fast, so come early.